The Naughty List  A Tale Of Holiday Shate
by jaytoyz
Summary: Happy Holidays to all of you SHATERS...Yup, I'm back with some more Daniel Shaw influenced scribbling...and I'm calling this a Holiday themed story as well...just because I want give a little something to all of you who just 'love' Daniel Shaw.  Die Shaw!


**A/N: **Bah Humbug…here's a little something or other…not sure where it came from…it just happened…yeah, of course it can be blamed on the impending return of the 'log' but I've hated the character for so long…and since it's the holidaze, I figured it was the perfect time for a new, themed, blast of Shate…I'm pretty sure I won't be getting it for Christmas so I'll say…I don't own Chuck or that asshat, Shaw…I don't make money for hating Shaw, but I'd take money for that if it were offered…all of the mistakes contained herein(except for the character of Shaw) are entirely my own because I'm still beta free. Happy holidays to everyone who reads my scribbles…Jim, thanks for the nudge. **JT**

"**He knows if you've been bad or good…" - A Holiday Tale of Shate**

Chuck Bartowski was feeling very pleased with himself. He'd finished his holiday shopping sooner than he'd ever managed to do it before and he'd decided to celebrate by arranging a special picnic for Sarah and himself. With Morgan's help, the roof of the Buymore had been transformed into a winter wonderland and he was now waiting for his wife to follow his clues and find her way to him so they could celebrate their first Christmas Eve as husband and wife.

Chuck smiled as he remembered Sarah's attempts at getting him to reveal his plans, some of them involving very little clothing and he was still rather proud of the willpower he'd found and used over the last three days. Sarah had taken his refusal to reveal his secret as a personal challenge and had spent the last day dragging him into any supply closet she could find, each encounter being more intense than the one before. Looking at his watch, he wondered when Sarah would make her appearance, hoping his final hint wasn't to obscure for her to figure out. Just as he was about to text her a hint, the hatch that covered the roof access ladder opened and his blonde angel climbed out.

"I'm so glad you figured out the…" Chuck started and then fell silent when Sarah pointed at the surveillance camera. "You've been spying on me?"

"Well, it is what I do" Sarah answered with a smile, "but, no, I used the camera as a last resort. That last clue was just too much for me, you big nerd" she finished as she crossed the roof and threw her arms around his neck, eagerly attacking his lips with her own. "Merry Christmas, Chuck" she said after pausing to take a breath.

"Merry Christmas, beautiful" he replied, gently pulling her towards the small table and chairs that sat on the other side of the roof.

"Oh, Chuck, it's beautiful" Sarah said as she took in the decorations that surrounded them, smiling at the fake snow and the thousands of white twinkle lights that had been strung about. "Left over from the practice dinner?" she asked, her hand holding tightly to Chuck's as he pulled her around the table and came to stand in front of the Christmas tree that glittered with lights and tinsel.

"Well, the lights? Yes. The tree? No."

"I know the tree's not from the dinner, you big doofus, I was talking about the lights. I'm guessing that Morgan helped you decorate? Sarah replied, allowing Chuck to pull her back to the table and taking the offered seat.

"Yeah, I was a little busy, what with your recent fascination with supply closets."

"Are you complaining?" Sarah asked, smiling as Chuck took the seat across from her and pulled the bottle of wine from the ice bucket next to the table.

"Of course not. I still can't believe I was able to keep this a secret despite your amazing interrogation methods." After pouring them both a glass of wine, he raised his glass and waited for Sarah to match his action, lightly clinking their glasses after she'd raised hers. "To our first married Christmas, Mrs. Bartowski, and to many, many more with the most beautiful woman I've ever known."

"To our first married Christmas, Mr. Bartowski, and to a lifetime more with the man I love" Sarah responded with a smile.

After they'd both taking a sip from their glasses, Chuck reached under the table and pulled out a picnic basket and began pulling out covered dishes, placing them on the table top. Within minutes, the plates in front of both of them were filled with still steaming food that smelled delicious.

"Did you cook all of this?" Sarah asked, the smell of the food making her mouth water.

"Well, Ellie helped a little…"

"Well, it all smells perfect" Sarah told him while picking up a fork, "I can't wait to taste it."

"Uh, Sarah, could we wait just a minute?" Chuck asked as he turned a stared towards the roof access hatch, obviously waiting for something.

Sarah wondered what Chuck was up to, turning to watch the hatch she'd come through earlier and was surprised when someone started climbing out, the red and white hat and bushy white beard bringing a smile to her face. While watching the unexpected visitor emerge from the hatch, she found her smile growing when Chuck got up from his seat and moved around the table to stand behind her.

"Merry Christmas, Sarah" Chuck whispered into her ear, the feel of his warm breath on her neck reminding her of supply closets.

Turning her head, Sarah pulled her husband to her and kissed him. "I thought we were waiting until tomorrow to exchange gifts?"

"Sarah, Santa is really busy tonight. I'm just glad he could take the time to deliver this special gift" Chuck said, turning to watch Santa approach the table.

"I can't stay long" Santa announced, dropping the bag that he had over his shoulder and, after pulling open the neck, reaching in and pulling out a small, wrapped box which he placed in front of the pair. "According to my list, you've both been very good this year so I hope you like this special present." Lifting his bag to his shoulder, he then turned and headed back towards the hatch he'd appeared from.

"Thank you, Santa" Sarah said, her voice making clear that she knew he wasn't really Kris Kringle but playing along. Turning to her side, she smiled at her husband. "What is it, Chuck?" she asked, picking up the box.

"I guess you'll have to open it and find out" he answered with a smile, wondering how Sarah had managed to arrange for this and then realizing that she must have known of his plans all along. Looking up, he was surprised that their visitor had disappeared so quickly and he was about to say something when his attention was suddenly drawn to the small box that his wife had unwrapped. "Well, what is it?" he asked, deciding to play along with her surprise.

After tearing the wrapping paper off with a speed that would have impressed a young child, Sarah lifted the top from the box and gasped when she looked inside. "Chuck, is this what I think it is?" Sarah asked, pulling a key ring from the box, staring at the single key that dangled on it.

"Sarah, I…uh, it looks like a house key" Chuck replied, honestly impressed with Sarah's confused act.

"It does, doesn't it? Oh, you beautiful, perfect man!" Sarah whispered as she got to her feet and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her. "I love you, Chuck Bartowski" she said, tucking her face into the space between his shoulder and neck.

"Sarah?" Chuck asked, confused when he looked down and found his wife staring up at him, tears gently falling from her eyes.

"Yes, Chuck?" Sarah asked after wiping tears from her cheeks.

"About the house key?"

"Promise me you'll take me to see it after we're done with our dinner."

"Um, I, where is it?"

"Stop teasing me, Chuck. Like you didn't include the address with the key" Sarah replied, holding up the small piece of paper that had been underneath the keyring.

"But, I didn't…"

"Would the two of you, please shut the fuck up" a voice asked, causing the couple to look back towards the access hatch.

"Shaw?" both Sarah and Chuck said at the same time, neither one of them wanting to believe that Daniel Shaw stood less than twenty feet away, the pistol in his right hand aimed at them.

"A little holiday dinner?" Shaw asked, motioning towards the decorations and the table. "I'm guessing my invitation got lost in the mail."

"How did you get out of the dark hole General Beckman had you thrown into, Shaw?" Chuck asked as he moved to step in front of his wife.

"Well, it seems that you have someone who's just a big as fan as I am. He arranged for an early release just so I cold deliver a special Christmas present to our favorite ex-agents."

"Decker" both Chuck and Sarah said at the same time.

"Right on the money" he answered with a smile. "He told me to make sure I told you he's sorry he couldn't be here in person but he did send a gift for each of you" he added before pulling the slide on the colt in his hand, racking a round into the chamber. "He was specific about which bullet went to who so I'm just going to guess he doesn't care who gets which one."

Chuck moved again, hoping he could give Sarah a chance by blocking Shaw's shot. 'Chuck' he heard his wife whisper as she touched his lower back, the contact telling him that she was armed. Before he could say a word, he noticed a bobbing red light suddenly come into view over Daniel Shaw's shoulder. He watched as the light drew closer and closer, filling him with a strange feeling as he tried to identify the source of the glow.

"What the heck is that?" Chuck asked, staring past the other man's shoulder.

"Really? That's the best you've got Chuck? The oldest trick in the book and you think I'm going to what? Turn around so your whore of a girlfriend can get the drop on me, using that gun in her hand to shoot me, just like you did on that bridge in Paris? I can't believe you're even going to try that."

Chuck had been watching the rapidly approaching light and was beginning to get alarmed when he realized that it looked like the glowing red orb was heading directly for them. Blinking his eyes, he couldn't understand what he thought he could see and moments later the sound of bells ringing reached his ears.

"Chuck, what's making that sound" Sarah asked quietly before moving slightly so she could look over his shoulder.

"Oh, how perfect…the lovebirds are both trying to trick me into turning my back. Trust me, I learned not to fall for that in prison…" Shaw said with a frown, "…the hard way" he added quietly. 'What the hell is making that noise, Bartowski. Is one of your idiot employees ringing bells for some reason?"

"Uh, no." Chuck answered, not believing what seemed to be attached to the red light that seemed to be less than fifty feet behind Shaw. "Sarah, drop!" Chuck yelled, throwing himself towards the roof beneath his feet, his hands grabbing at his wife and pulling her with him. Pulling her towards him, he rolled over, attempting to get Sarah underneath of him, hoping his body might act as a shield for the impact he was sure was about to happen.

"It can't be" he heard himself say when he heard a loud, wet sounding thump and then heard what sounded like hoof beats. The roof seemed to vibrate briefly while the sound of ringing bells seemed to temporarily drown out everything else. Moments later the vibrations and the sound of bells disappeared, leaving behind them what sounded like a man's deep laughter.

"Ho, Ho, Ho…Happy Holidays!" a loud voice called out.

Rolling over, Chuck sat up, shaking his head in disbelief as he caught sight of…something…disappearing into the night sky. Getting to his feet, he reached a hand down and gently pulled his wife to her feet. He moved to pull her to him but was surprised when she pushed him aside, her gun still in her hand.

"Oh my god!" Sarah blurted out when she looked to the spot where Daniel Shaw had been standing.

"What?" Chuck asked, turning to look where Sarah was staring.

Before either of them cold move, the roof hatch was thrown open and John Casey climbed out.

"What the hell are the twp of you doing up here?" the big man blurted out, looking around and then moving towards the odd looking lump the was in-between his position and his partners. Stepping slowly, he stopped just a couple of feet from the expanding red puddle, pulling a small flashlight from his pocket and shining it downwards. He looked up when Sarah and Chuck moved to stand beside him. "Would either of you like to explain why this looks like someone was stampeded and then run over by a train?" Casey asked as he pointed out the hoof prints and the two, evenly spaced tracks that marked the lumpy pile that was all that was left of Daniel Shaw.

Chuck and Sarah exchanged bewildered looks before they both looked at their partner.

"Um, let's just say that you really don't want to get on Santa's 'Naughty' list" Chuck answered, ignoring Casey's confused look. Turning to his wife, he smiled before walking back to the table and picking up the key ring and the piece of paper with the address on it.

"Well, what am I supposed to do about this mess? I hope you don't think I'm going to clean it up."

"No we don't, Casey. Let's call that clean-up crew and then, if you'd like, why don't you come for a ride with us."

"Where are we going?"

"To see what being on the 'Nice' list means" Sarah answered with a smile, taking the keyring from Chuck's hand and holding it up for Casey to see.

"Is that a house key? I thought the company couldn't afford any expenditures? How did you guys get a new house?"

"Casey, we're not really sure. Let's go for a ride." Chuck said and then, after glancing at his watch, he smiled. "Merry Christmas" he told Sarah and Casey who both offered the same in response, both of them returning his smile.

**A/N: **Happy Holidays to everyone…reviews are like gifts…and they're greatly appreciated. JT


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